Germany’s Todtgelichter doesn’t seem to be very well-known, and “Schemen”’s unassuming album cover is pretty easy to pass over. But if there’s one band that deserves your attention, it’s these guys. On this, the band’s second album, Todtgelichter seamlessly incorporates numerous different styles and some unusual elements into their core black metal sound, creating something that is fresh and progressive without straying too far from the genre’s fundamentals.

Todtgelichter’s sound on “Schemen” is unmistakably black metal, with decently clear production. The vocals, which stick to a harsh, mid-range rasp for the most part, provide much of the edge to the band’s sound. The guitars are somewhat trebly and not overly heavy, and they flirt with numerous styles throughout the album. Of course there are plenty of furious tremolo-picked sections and angular, dissonant riffs, as well as some viciously heavy sections, but the band also includes some Katatonia-style repetitive harmonies and even a couple almost rock-sounding parts. The drumming is skilled but also somewhat unpredictable - there are plenty of traditional blast beats, but the drummer uses frequent fills and mixes up his beats quite a bit.

While the riffing styles and drumming certainly separate this album from typical black metal, that’s not what really makes it unusual. The songwriting is often very progressive - there are rather abrupt tempo changes, softer atmospheric passages, and remarkable variation between songs. While some bands get overly ambitious and end up compromising the overall cohesiveness of their album by trying to make each song stand on its own, Todtgelichter succeed in mixing things up while still keeping a consistent feel throughout.

If “Schemen” still doesn’t sound that weird, that’s because I still haven’t mentioned the downright bizarre elements that the band throws into songs on top of everything else. Nearly every song contains some kind of additional sound or instrument that is wholly unexpected. The creepy first track, ‘Impuls,’ utilizes distant, ghostly female vocals to enhance the atmosphere. ‘Seegen’ begins with an ultra-malevolent depressive riff supplemented with the deep pulse of a didgeridoo. The heavy-hitting ‘Blutstern’ starts off with one of the most aggressive riffs on the album, but eventually gives way to a softer passage augmented with whale calls (yes, the same kind that are in Katatonia’s ‘Deadhouse’). ‘Aschentraum’ contains a brilliantly-used saxaphone solo that fits in so well it’s difficult to notice. Finally, ‘Beginn des Endes’ brings the album to a close with mournful female lead vocals replacing the black metal rasps.

Perhaps the greatest testament to this band’s talent is that not a single one of these elements feels out of place. Each unusual piece doesn’t define the song or detract from it, but instead increases the effectiveness of the music. Its quite rare to find a band that’s able to pull something like this off, so “Schemen” is definitely well worth checking out.